Piano action



April 8, 1947. R. w. E. SPERRY PIANO ACTION Filed Aug. 13, 1945 m K% 7/ 2 mm M H i W 1 I. H H M% 7/ Y B EHEEQ Patented Apr. 8, 1947 PIANO ACTION Ralph W. E. Sperry, De Kalb, TEL, assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation Application August 13, 1943, Serial No. 498,461

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a piano action, particularly of the drop action type applicable to the small or spinet type of upright pianos, reference being had to Letters Patent No, 2,239,204, issued April 22, 1941, for Upright piano.

The feature of the invention resides in the operative connection between th piano key and the, wippen for actuating the sticker or abstract through which movement is transmitted from the key to the action. More particularly, the invention resides in the provision of a metal cuplike bearing secured to the actuating end of the key for providing a bearing seat for the sticker or abstract through which movement may be transmitted from the key to the action.

By means of this arrangement, a simple and inexpensive actuating connection is made between the key and the sticker which readily transmits a connection and disconnection therebetween, as well as complete adjustability. The cup-like bearing provides a cushion seat, such as to give quiet and firm support to the suspended sticker and maintain it in predetermined relation to the key, while permitting a rocking movement therebetween upon the cushion bearing and disconnection of the sticker from the key upon the key being moved to a predetermined angular position.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a piano ac tion showing a unit thereof with a portion of its associated actuating piano key. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the sticker support in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cup with the dowel removed.

In the drawings there is shown a unit in a piano action including an action rail l0, frame structure ll, lower supporting rail l2 and upper rail I3, all associated and arranged in the usual manner with respect to the piano strings M.

The action is of the usual character, embodying a hammer [5 with dampers l6 and back check I! supported on a wippen I8. The wippen is fulcrumed at IS on the rail I0 by the usual flange, and has pivotally mounted thereon the usual jack 20 for driving the piano butt 2 I.

Associated with the hammer action there is provided the usual piano key 22 which is fulcrumed about the hinged pins 23 intermediate its ends upon the keyboard 24 mounted on the key bed 25, The actuating end of said key 22 has driven into the end thereof so as to extend outwardly and longitudinally of the key, a metal supporting and bearing cup 26. Said member may be conveniently formed with a shank 21 to be driven into the end of the key, or said shank may be threaded to be screwed therein. Said cup projects directly outwardly from the end of the key toward the action,

Motion is transmitted between the action end of the key 22 and the wippen 18 through the medium of a rigid sticker or abstract 23. Said sticker extends downwardly from substantially the level of the key to below the level of the wippen. The lower end of said sticker is provided with a foot '23 extending forwardly thereof under and in alignment with the wippen for operative engagement with the underside thereof. The lower and forward end of the foot is pivotally connected through a link 33 with the flange secured to the lower supporting rail l2.

The upper end of the sticker is provided with an elongated screw threaded opening terminating in the upper end thereof and indicated at 3|, for receiving a threaded shank 32. The shank 32, which is in the form of a metal rod, is threaded at both ends, one end being adapted to screw into the opening 3| and the other end being adapted to screw into a wooden regulating dowel 33. The relation of the shank 32 to the sticker and dowel is such that they may be adjusted relative to each other by turning the dowel and thereby effecting the desired regulation of the sticker with respect to the key and wippen. Thus, turnin the dowel in one direction will lower the sticker in respect to the key, and rotating it in the opposite direction will raise it. The dowel may be of any suitable form or provided with an openin 34 therein for receiving a tool to conveniently permit of its regulating movement. Such movement is not transmitted to the sticker by reason of its also being pivotally anchored to the rail l2.

The cup 26 forms a bearing support for the sticker by reason of the seating of the lower end of the dowel within the cup, said lower end being rounded to conform thereto. The cup is provided forwardly thereof with a slot 35 of only sufiicient width to receive the shank 32, the cup and slot being of such depth in respect to the exposed portion of the shank as to normally prevent the dowel from being unseated and the sticker disengaged from the cup when the key is in normal operating position. However, under normal adjustment, the exposed portion of the shank is sufficiently long in respect to the depth of the cup as to permit the dowel to be unseated therefrom by swinging the actuated end of the 3 key upwardly to tilt the cup for disconnecting the action from the key.

To effect quiet operation and prevent wear, the usual felt punching 36 is placed within the cup to receive the dowel and provide a cushion therefor. By means of this arrangement, the depression of the piano key imparts movement to the action, causing the cup 24 to be elevated, which in turn raises the dowel and with it the sticker 28 through the connecting shank 32. The foot 29 of the sticker is thus raised against the wippen l8 to effect the desired action of the hammer. The weight of the hammer, wippen and sticker operates to normally maintain effective engaging relation between the regulatin dowel and cup, acting to return the key to inoperative position after it has been actuated.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an upright piano having a keyboard and a string, a hammer action mounted in front of said string with a wippen disposed below the level of the keyboard, a key fulcrumed on said keyboard, a rigid drop lever sticker extending downwardly from adjacent the operative end of said key with its lower end positioned to impart movement to said wippen, a supporting head for said sticker having a rounded bearing end, a shank member extending between and in adjustable threaded engagement with the upper end of said sticker and the lower end of said head for adjustably securing them in spaced relation, and a bearing cup secured to the end of said key having a rounded bearing support for and conforming to the rounded bearing end of said head and a receiving slot therein for receiving said shank, said cup having a depth greater than the exposed portion of said shank for preventing said head from becoming unseated therefrom when said key and sticker are in substantially normal position.

2. In an upright piano having a keyboard and a string, a hammer action mounted in front of said string with a wippen disposed below the level of the keyboard, a key fulcrumed on said keyboard, a rigid drop lever sticker extending downwardly from adjacent the operative end of said key with its lower end positioned to impart movement to said wippen, the upper end of said sticker being threaded to receive an adjusting screw extension member therein for longitudinal adjustment relative to said wippen upon rotative adjustment of said screw, a supporting head for said sticker having a cupped formation to provide a bearing seat terminating in a shank adapted to be inserted into the end of said key, said cupped formation being slotted vertically of its forward portion to receive the upper portion of said screw extension, and a head on said screw extension seated in said cup for adjustably supporting said sticker and transmitting movement thereto from said key.

RALPH W. E. SPERRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,227,741 Betz Jan. 7, 1941 2,123,736 Klein July 12, 1938 2,324,037 Socin July 13, 1943 2,156,963 Betz May 2, 1939 2,061,154 Heitzmann Nov. 17, 1936 

